Tag Archives: Latino American Teachers

Florida’s Braulio Alonso: Teacher, NEA President, and veteran

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Florida teacher, NEA President, and US Army veteran Braulio Alonso. Photo credit: Jefferson High School.

When we think about Chalkboard Heroes, one name that immediately comes to mind is Braulio Alonso. This distinguished educator and World War II veteran can boast of numerous accomplishments during his lifetime.

Born in Ybor City, Tampa, Florida, in 1916, the son of impoverished cigar makers, Braulio graduated as the valedictorian of his class from Hillsborough High School in 1935. He was also the valedictorian of his college class when he graduated from the University of Tampa in 1939.

Braulio began his teaching career as an instructor of physics and chemistry courses at Henry B. Plant High School in Tampa, but when World War II erupted, Braulio became part of the United States Army in 1941. He was immediately sent to officer candidate school, and later he became part of the 85th Infantry Division in North Africa. The teacher-soldier was promoted to Battery Commander for the 328th Artillery Battalion, taking an active part in the Italian campaign. He was among the first Allied soldiers to liberate Rome. By the time he was discharged from the service, Braulio had earned a Bronze Star with Cluster and a Purple Heart.

After the war, Braulio continued his career as an educator. He was named the Director of Adult Education and headed an on-the-job training program for returning veterans. He also taught classes and served as a principal at several schools, including West Tampa Junior High, Jefferson High School, and C. Leon King High School.

Always intent upon improving the quality of education, Braulio became the president of his local teachers’ union, eventually becoming the president of the Florida Education Association, where he led the drive to integrate the organization. In 1967, he was elected the president of the National Education Association, the first Hispanic to hold that office. While NEA president, Braulio worked to persuade teacher organizations throughout Europe to join with NEA for an international conference to combat racism, anti-Semitism and apartheid, and served as its secretary. In 1966 he became an international figure when he was asked to mediate a dispute among teacher organizations and the Bolivian government. This was the first of many missions to mediate disputes, including efforts in Nicaragua, El Salvador, Brazil, the Ivory Coast, Kenya, and Ghana.

This remarkable Chalkboard Hero passed away of natural causes in 2010. He will be missed, but certainly not forgotten.

Angel Santiago named New Jersey 2021 Teacher of the Year

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Educator Angel Santiago of Blackwood, New Jersey, has been named his state’s 2021 Teacher of the Year. Photo credit: Angel Santiago.

Congratulations go to educator Angel Santiago of Blackwood, New Jersey, who has been named his state’s 2021Teacher of the Year. Angel teaches Language Arts to fifth graders at Loring Flemming Elementary School.

Angel says he owes his successes in the classroom to his passion for fostering strong relationships with his students, their families, his colleagues, and the community in which he serves. In addition to his classroom responsibilities, Angel is the facilitator of the group Young People of Character (YPOC). This group of fourth and fifth graders, who come from different socio-economic backgrounds, participate in various community service projects to promote teamwork, empathy, and personal growth. Some of the projects the group has been involved in include writing letters to veterans for Veterans Day, cleaning up the school grounds for Earth Day, and volunteering during the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service. “Community outreach is a great example of how a rural community like mine uses empathy, teamwork, and leadership to teach our students life lessons without using textbooks or assessments, but rather our hands and our hearts,” asserts Angel.

The honored educator has taught his entire professional career in Camden County. In 2012 he began teaching in the Lindenwold Public Schools, and in 2013 he moved to Gloucester Township Public Schools where he continues to teach.

Angel graduated from New Jersey’s Fairleigh Dickinson University. He earned both a Bachelor’s degree and a Master’s degree in Humanities. In addition, he is a member of both Phi Theta Kappa and Kappa Delta Pi Honor Societies.

To read more about this Chalkboard Champion, see this article published online by the New Jersey Education Association.

Mary Helen Garcia: Educator and member, New Mexico House of Reps

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Former educator Mary Helen Garcia also served in the New Mexico House of Representatives. Photo credit: Ballotpedia.

There are many examples of fine classroom teachers who also become successful politicians. One of these is Mary Helen Garcia, an elementary school teacher and principal from New Mexico, who also served in her state’s House of Representatives.

Mary Helen was born on July 14, 1937, in Las Cruces, New Mexico. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in 1960 and her Master’s degree in 1976, both from New Mexico University.

Mary Helen worked as a teacher first at Gadsden Public Schools, where she was employed from 1960 to 1961. From 1967 to 1992 she taught in Las Cruces Public Schools. She served as the Directory of Instruction for Las Cruces schools from 1993 to 1999. She also served as an elementary school principal in Las Cruces from 1984 to 1993, and from 1999. She is now retired from the teaching profession.

In 1996, this hardworking educator was elected on the Democratic ticket to serve in her state’s House of Representatives. She represented District 34 there from 1997 to 2015. While in the House, Mary Helen was the Chairwoman for the Committee on Voters and Elections; a member of the Appropriations and Finance Committee; and a member of the Committees for Education and Business and Industry. She has also served as the Chair of the New Mexico District Democratic Party from 1997 to the present time.

In addition to her professional and political responsibilities, Mary Helen is a member of the National Education Association, the International Association of Reading, the Association of Curriculum and Instruction, the Dona Ana Arts Council, and the Pan American Round Table.

To learn more about this amazing educator, see the article about her published on Ballotpedia.

 

Alejandro Diasgranados: National Teacher of the Year finalist

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Alejandro Diasgranados, an elementary teacher from Washington, DC, has been named one of four finalists for the 2021 National Teacher of the Year award. Photo credit: Alejandro Diasgranados.

Congratulations are due to Alejandro Diasgranados, an elementary teacher from Washington, DC. He has been named one of four finalists for the 2021 National Teacher of the Year award.

Alejandro grew up in Prince George’s County, Maryland. He graduated from High Point High School, a public high school located in Beltsville, Maryland. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in Health Science at Virginia State University. While there, he played football. Once he earned his undergraduate degree, Alejandro briefly enrolled in a program specializing in physical therapy in Springfield, Massachusetts. Next, he worked as a substitute teacher in nearby Holyoke. That’s when he discovered his passion for teaching.

In 2015, Alejandro signed up for the Teach for America (TFA) program. He was placed at Aiton Elementary School in DC’s Ward 7. By 2018, the honored educator earned his Master’s degree in Education from Johns Hopkins University. When he walked, all 40 of his students raised the money to attend the graduation ceremony.

Alejandro’s achievements in his relatively short career have already been numerous. As an alumnus of TFA and a teacher-leader, Alejandro garnered a $10,000 grant from the Washington Football Team to establish a laundry center at his school. He also organized a coat drive at Aiton in cooperation with the Stanley Cup Champion Washington Capitals Devante Smith-Pelly. Most recently, Alejandro’s appearance on the Drew Barrymore Show resulted in a gift of 265 new laptops for his school to help close the digital divide during COVID-19.

Currently, Alejandro teaches English Language Arts and Social Studies to fourth and fifth graders. His curriculum empowers his students to act as agents of change, and he strives to inspire them to advocate not only for themselves, but also for others. In one project, his students hoped to challenge inequity of opportunity by creating and distributing pamphlets that explained how educational inequity impacts their community. They also wrote letters to DC leaders, including Mayor Bowser, Council member David Grosso, and Chancellor Ferebee.

In addition to his classroom responsibilities, Alejandro serves as a Cultivation Ambassador for Teacher Recruitment and on the Selection Team for DC Public Schools. He is a 2020-2021 Live it, Learn it Experiential Learning Fellow, and served as an Experiential Learning Leadership Pathway Facilitator for Teach For America (TFA) in 2019-2020. This Chalkboard Champion also served as a teacher mentor for the University of the District of Columbia during the 2019-2020 school year, and as a summer school coordinator for DC Public Schools.

To learn more about Alejandro Diasgranados, see this story about him published by DC.gov and the Office of the State Superintendent of Education.

Former teacher Dolores Huerta: A formidable civil rights leader

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Former elementary school teacher and formidable civil rights leader Dolores Huerta worked tirelessly to secure better working conditions for migrant farm workers in the 1960’s. Photo credit: Public Domain.

Like many people I have heard of formidable civil rights leader Dolores Huerta. She worked tirelessly to secure better working conditions for migrant farm workers in the 1960’s. But did you know she was also once a teacher?

Dolores was born in Dawson, New Mexico, on April 10, 1930. In fact, she just celebrated her 91st birthday earlier this week. Raised in Stockton, California, Dolores graduated in 1955 with an AA and her teaching credentials from the College of the Pacific. After her college graduation, she accepted a teaching position in a rural Stockton elementary school. She had been teaching for only a short time when she realized she wanted to devote her vast energy to migrant farm workers and their families. “I couldn’t stand seeing farm worker children come to class hungry and in need of shoes,” she once explained. “I thought I could do more by organizing their parents than by trying to teach their hungry children.”

After just one year, Dolores resigned from her teaching position, determined to launch a campaign that would fight the numerous economic injustices faced by migrant agricultural workers. Joining forces with the legendary labor leader Cesar Chavez, the intrepid educator helped organize a large-scale strike against the commercial grape growers of the San Joaquin Valley, an effort which raised national awareness of the abysmal treatment of America’s agricultural workers. She also negotiated contracts which led to their improved working conditions. The rest, as they say, is history.

Although there are several fairly good juvenile biographies of this extraordinary woman, there is no definitive adult biography about her. The closest thing to it is A Dolores Huerta Reader edited by Mario T. Garcia. This book includes an informative biographical introduction by the editor, articles and book excerpts written about her, her own writings and transcripts of her speeches, and an interview with Mario Garcia. You can find A Dolores Huerta Reader on amazon. I have also included a chapter about this remarkable teacher in my second book, entitled Chalkboard Heroes.